Alleged Electric Shock from China’s BYD Car Puts Driver in Coma

Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer BYD
Controversy over suspected electric shock accident
It even caused a cerebral hemorrhage

The Chinese electric vehicle industry is showing extraordinary growth these days. In particular, BYD, which boasts the largest scale and sales volume, shocked people by ranking first in global automobile sales in 2023.

Recently, startling news emerged from China about a BYD electric vehicle. It was reported that the driver of the vehicle suddenly experienced an electric shock and fell unconscious. The victim’s family is now seeking compensation for the damages, but BYD insists that there is no issue with the car, sparking controversy.

The driver barely escaped from the vehicle
He ended up falling into unconsciousness

According to China Business News & Network, on the 14th of May, a video titled “Stroke due to short circuit in BYD electric vehicle” was recently posted on local social media, causing shock. In the video, which appears to have been filmed on the vehicle’s black box, the driver seemed to receive an electric shock when he touched the gear lever. Sensing danger, he escaped from the car after several attempts to unfasten his seat belt.

During the escape, the driver shouted out the window, “A short circuit is in this vehicle.” and asked for help from nearby citizens. He was later taken to a nearby hospital but fell into a coma. The hospital confirmed that he had blisters on his right arm, head, and face and additionally diagnosed him with electric shock.

A life-threatening situation
BYD does not admit defects

The driver has been in a coma for over ten days after the accident, and his life is said to be in danger. Even if consciousness is regained, there are concerns about possible aftereffects, including lifelong paralysis. The accumulated treatment cost is said to be approximately $15,000. The driver’s family negotiated with the BYD store several times, but when they failed, they posted a video of the accident on social media.

BYD stated that it does not acknowledge vehicle defects. This is because the passenger in the front seat in the black box video was not injured, and no abnormalities were found in the short circuit detection investigation after the accident. BYD suggested the possibility that the driver did not receive an electric shock but mistook the premonitory symptoms of cerebral hemorrhage for a short circuit.

What model is the vehicle in question?

However, BYD denied any defects in the vehicle but stated, “We are willing to actively cooperate with relevant departments to conduct an accurate appraisal and investigation.” The BYD electric vehicle is the D1 model developed with the ride-sharing company DiDi. It is an MPV type optimized for purpose-based mobility services in China, and the man is also known as a DiDi driver.